Randlijst met Christus bij de poel van Bethesda Possibly 1676 - 1740

This is Antonio Balestra’s pen and brush in grey-brown, depicting Christ at the Pool of Bethesda. The key motif here is the pool itself, a wellspring of miraculous healing. The Pool of Bethesda is not merely a body of water but a charged site where divine intervention transforms human suffering. We see a similar reverence for water in the ancient Greek cult of Asclepius, where healing sanctuaries were often situated near natural springs, seen as conduits of the god's curative powers. Consider, too, the ubiquitous symbol of baptism across cultures, from ancient purification rites to its central place in Christianity, where water signifies spiritual cleansing and rebirth. The persistent appearance of such motifs speaks to a profound, archetypal yearning for renewal, a collective memory etched in the human psyche. This constant return to the image of rejuvenating waters reveals how deeply rooted is our desire to heal the wounds of the body and the soul.